summer camp

[squirrel]

Hi! This is my first post here and my son has been in Scouting for 8yrs now. I've been his Den leader for 5 while in Cubs, and a volunteer in Boy Scouts for 3. I've been to 2 summer camps with him and enjoyed both of them tremendously. The last two we went to were McKee, near Lexington, Ky and BuckToms, near Nashville. Bpth were very good with Merit badges. What are some other good camps that you went to?

[insanescouter]

There are many great camps out there and just as many bad ones. Many camps have something they specializes in such as Camp Whittisite (ok I am a bad speller) which has one of the best general normal programs I know of. There there is Emerald Bay on Catalinia Island which has an awesome aquatics program along with another camp that I can't think of the name of in San Diego near Sea World.

The main things to look at in a summer camp are the program it offers, the staff that puts it on, (as we know the 13th point is Hungrey) the mess hall, and finally the cost. I have servered 4 years of camp staff, 2 of which as the outdoor skills area director - I can tell you first hand a camp is only as good as its staff and the staff it has one year is not the staff it will have the next year. So always do your homework - and dont feel you have to attend a local council camp - there are many great camps out there.

Oh and one last not you may be able to find non-scouting scholarships too. Where I am a local newspaper will pay camp costs for a scout if the scout afterwards writes an essay about the week for them.

Look around, have fun, and dont lose the adventure...

Just my wacky 2 cents...

Scott Robertson
http://insanescouter.org
Helping leaders one resource at a time....

[1st Mate]

"Good" is a very subjective measurement. Even at a destination like Disney World there are probably millions who have disliked their stay even though millions love it.

A summer camp can be "good" by one persons perception and bad by anothers during the same week. A lot depends on one's personal tastes and expectations.

There is a more objective way to rate the camps. The BSA does annual inspections and gives the camp a rating based on program, safety, sanitation, and other quantitative values. Ask for the camps ratings for the last few years. And keep in mind that camps can change drastically from year to year. Youth staff changes, Camp director changes, food service changes, council budget changes, ALL can effect the camps quality on a year to year basis in both positive and negative ways.

My suggestion is to support your local summer camp. After all you helped pay for its existence. You have more control over its quality than over any other camp. In most cases it is the most cost effective and the most convenient, and your Scouts can build new friendships with other local scouts.

Remember also that even someone who has been to 6 different summer camps has only experienced about 2% of the Boy Scout Summer Camps in the country.